4 groups, 4 full-length CDs: that’s the groundbreaking concept behind this specially priced box set from No Type to celebrate the burgeoning and already quite bewildering Montréal free improv scene. Montréal Free is not intended as a complete anthology of all that is happening in this bristling city, but rather as a persistent snapshot of what one might hear at the Casa del Popolo on boulevard Saint-Laurent, where these musicians and others regularly astound audiences. Thanks to this unique box set, you can now listen to these magical spontaneous constructions in the comfort of your own home. All you’ll be missing is the pint of cream ale.

Although recorded in studio for the occasion, the four groups featured on this 4CD release are quite representative of the new sound of Montréal live improv: fiercer, rawer, oscillating between the atmospheric and the confrontational, and relentlessly inventive. The audacity of the younger performers is matched by the sheer musical insight of the more experienced musicians. A collective match made in heaven—or is it hell? With Montréal Free, we are happy to offer the world with the first comprehensive, immersive excursion into the smoky backstreets of the North American Capital of Sin. Because there is far more to Montréal than smoked meat…